In another life
by maraki1308
Summary: Multichapter. Delena AU based on 5x18 dream sequence. Elena is happily married with Stefan and has the perfect life. Why does she get upset by the news of Damon's new girlfriend?
1. Chapter 1

**A delena twist in 5x18 hallucinations. My first attempt at a multichapter fic, so any feedback would be appreciated (please review:) ).**

Elena Gilbert had everything in life; nice home, caring husband, beautiful kids, her dream job and loving friends to support her. All she ever dreamed as a kid was right within her grasp and she never failed to express her gratitude. One single phrase was enough to shatter this sense of fulfillment.

"Damon's bringing a girl with him", her husband stated, pleased with his brother's accomplishment. "Her name's Rose and she is a kinder garden teacher", Stefan added. "He seems really taken with her".

Elena struggled not to show how the news affected her. Stefan seemed oblivious to her silent melt down, preoccupied with the salad he was making, yet Elena felt a tinge of guilt. Stefan has been nothing but the perfect husband and father. He didn't deserve this.

It had been two years since she last talked to Damon. Elena had to get very imaginative in making up excuses on why she couldn't meet her husband's brother or why she was always busy during Salvatore family meetings. And Damon was living up to his part of the deal as well. Stefan mentioned plenty of times how surprised he was at Damon's denial to visit his brother in his family home. Clueless Stefan blamed it on Damon being Damon, or so Elena thought.

Despite her best efforts, she would catch a glimpse of him from time to time, entering the Salvatore family business or visiting his parents home. He was still as handsome as she remembered, his shiny raven hair slightly longer nowadays than the last time she allowed herself to put her fingers through it and his vivid baby blue eyes always wandering, searching for something she was never able to point or understand.

What Elena could never admit though, was that she relished these moments of lurking, she found comfort in them. Whether it was watching Damon wear his professional mask and allure his clients or fight with Stefan, simply the sight of him, his existence in the same world made her pain more bearable. She found herself gravitating towards him, whenever she was upset or hurt or simply bored. "It's not a big deal", she used to tell herself every time she slipped and it usually worked.

It wasn't until the previous week that an occurrence challenged her so carefully constructed bubble. Elena was waiting for Stefan to hand him over his cell phone, when Damon entered the building with a woman in his arm. Damon's friend was stunning, a sight for shore eyes. Her long, gorgeous, red hair accompanied her big green eyes perfectly. Tall, leggy with impeccable style the woman could impress even the sternest of critics with her undeniably beauty.

Damon seemed far from unaffected from his companion. He held his hand around her waist as he stared deeply in her eyes, green meeting blue, making a formidable connection that had terrified Elena. Damon was listening to her carefully, laughing at her stories, taking in her every word and cherishing it in a way that could mean only one thing in Elena's perspective: Damon was in love with that woman. She knew because she used to be the one privileged to Damon's affections. She also knew that once Damon was committed to someone there was nothing and no one in the world that could stop him. Well almost nothing.

A childish, high pitched cry distracted her from her trance. She turned to face her youngest son Grayson curling on the floor, holding his knee as he cried.

"Mommy, it hurts..", he shrieked, his light blue eyes catching Elena's. Elena run towards her son as Stefan left the knife he was holding to go to his son as well.

"It's okay baby", Elena whispered to his ear reassuringly, "It's just a scratch, see?"

Gray checked his knee hesitantly, scared to witness the depth of his wound. Once he finally faced it, he calmed down, convinced with his mother's explanation.

Gray was a very active child and in his three-year-old life he had never failed to occupy Elena with his stunts. He seemed as if he was set out to discover every possible danger the house could hide and only stopped once he was too sleepy to move. Lily Salvatore, Gray's grandmother, would always go on and on about how her grandson took his restlessness after Damon, who was just as much of a disaster as a kid as her grandson. And to Lily's dismay, her older son had yet to correct his naughty attitude and she kept complaining to Elena about Damon not settling down. Perhaps, she would get her wish now, Elena thought to herself.

As the crisis was averted and her son moved on to his next adventure, Elena was overcome with the need to know more about the mystery woman that was so special to Damon. What was it with this girl that had Damon under her spell?

"So, what's the deal with Damon and this girl?", Elena tried to sound as casual as possible in an attempt to conceal her heartbreak. "How come does Damon Salvatore bring a woman to the family table?"

"Damon and Rose were friends as teens."Stefan responded to his wife."They used to have a thing for each other back then, but Rose's family moved to another state before anything really happened between them."

There was something about Stefan's story that cut Elena deeper than she wanted to admit. She could deal with Rose being a two month fling but her being Damon's unrequited love made this much more threatening.

"He met her at his business trip in Paris four months ago. They've been dating ever since, and it's the first time in years that I've seen my brother happy. I bet that they'll be married by the end of the year", Stefan added.

As her composure was about to shatter, Elena found a laughable excuse to leave the room, desperate to hide her distress from her husband. That night found her crying her eyes out at the bathroom, grieving over a love that to the rest of the world never existed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

Damon Salvatore stood in his office, gazing through his window. The space was beautifully decorated, as minimally as it could be, with an industrial essence that Elena used to despise. "It's too impersonal", she said to him a long time ago, "there is nothing that screams Damon in here. It's cold.."

"Maybe that's what I was going for", Damon answered amused, "or there is a chance that I'm just cold".

"You are not cold ", Elena responded spontaneously, giving him her warmest smile with a conviction that surprised Damon and a hint of flirtation that he couldn't quite translate.

"How can you know? You met me literally last week."

Damon examined this girl that seemed to get him better than people he had known his entire life. Her smile was warm, caring, nurturing as if she had sensed Damon's deep rooted insecurities. He returned the smile as his eyes captured hers, setting the foundation for their unique connection that would torment them both in the following years.

Damon couldn't afford getting sucked in that black hole again. His life seemed to finally work out after years and years of self-loathing and self-destructing. He quickly dismissed the uninvited thoughts by emerging himself into work. That was the right thing to do he kept telling himself.

Alaric Saltzman, Damon's best friend and lawyer, entered his office, holding an envelope. Alaric was uncharacteracteristicly nervous, the urgency visible in his movements.

"Sign this", Alaric ordered as he handed him over a stuck of documents.

"Goodmorning to you too, sunshine", Damon exclaimed mocking his friend's current behaviour. Alaric shot him a disapproving glance and shoved a pen into Damon's grasp.

"Let's leave the pleasantries for another time, your ass is on the line now. You might need to rush the wedding", Alaric anounced. "We have less time than I thought".

"Chill, Ric, I'm sure you'll figure out whatever got you freaking out like a little girl", Damon encouraged Ric in his own unconventional way. "What happened?"

"Hi uncle Damon", juvenile voices sounded across the office, effectively ending the conversation. Damon's niece and nephew barged in and headed straight towards their uncle.

Gray along with his sister Lily adored Damon and the feelings were mutual. Damon would always try to make time in his schedule to play with the kids. His parents had always been busy people and there had been plently instances that he felt neglected and alone growing up. Therefore, he swore that he would do anything in his power to ensure that his kids or his brother's kids would feel loved at all times.

"How are my little buddies today?", Damon addressed to the kids as he hugged them tightly.

"Surely better than their uncle", Ric added, "Damon, this is important and we need to figure this out right now".

"Uncle Damon is fine", Lily butted in to support him, her feisty and dynamic personality already showing despite her five years of life.

The girl seemed to have picked up Elena's compassion and loyalty. Her tendency to stick up for the weak had already got? her in trouble qat school. The fact that she had Elena's big brown eyes made the similarities glaring. A mini Elena in every possible way. Except for her raven hair, a Salvatore trait, passed down by her grandmother.

"Alright buzzkill, just let me have a few minutes with the kids and I'm all yours after"

"Uncle Damon, look at my new train. Daddy got me this for my birthday!", Grayson exclaimed barely able to hold his excitement.

"It's very nice, Grey"

* * *

Alaric stormed out of the office, upset with his friend's recklessness. Damon was a very charismatic individual with several qualities that made him irreplaceable as a working partner. His calmness had turned out to be a double edged sword though, as Damon was capable of functioning in stressful situations but not sensitive enough to know when it's time to run as fast as you can. And despite his friend's musings, Alaric knew that that time would come sooner than later.

Alaric sat in a chair in the waiting room, taking advantage of his friend's need for family time to investigate. He took a peak around the offices, examining the firm's employees for any further evidence. This case had turned him into a paranoid psycho, suspicious even of his own shadow.

His espionage was rather unfruitful as the only person he had visual access to was Damon's personal assistant, Caroline Forbes. Caroline's attempts to fix her lipstic, despite the stellar result, weren't actually noteworthy. She hadn't communicated with anyone, no messages, nothing worth his time.

Elena's children left Damon's office as abruptly as they came in and it was Alaric's cue to continue the conversation they had left unfinished.

"Caroline meets with Klaus", Alaric whispered, aware that they couldn't trust anyone in the building. "Regularly."

Damon was speechless, surprised and devastated by the revelation. Caroline had been his personal assistant and one of his best friends for years. She was standing beside him as he struggled to successfully handle the family business when he took over, so the thought of her sabotaging him was disturbing.

"Are you sure, Alaric?" Damon begged. Alaric could tell that he was shaken by the use of his whole name instead of Ric.

"I wouldn't tell you if I wasn't. The worst part is that they now know everything about you. This makes it so much easier to go through with their plan."

"We need to find who Caroline's accomplish is and quickly", Damon commanded, "there is surely someone helping her".

* * *

At the same time another talk was taking place in the howl.

"Here I need you to put this envelope back in Damon's office", the man pleaded.

"Can't you do it yourself?" , Caroline exclaimed exasperated, annoyed at the man's request.

"Please, Car, one last time, what are best friends for?"

"Alright, it's the last time I'm going behind my boss's back, Stefan", Caroline caved in, agreeing to help Stefan once again.

"Thanks, and technically I'm your boss too", Stefan stated and winked at Caroline.

"Did Stefan "Brooding" Salvatore just wink?" Caroline jested, "Must be my lucky day".

Hope you liked it! :) Next on the family meeting that Elena gets to meet Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena woke up with a knot around her stomach. She was overwhelmed by an unsettling sensation and she couldn't distinguish whether it was fear, anxiety or anticipation. This was the day they had dreaded for years. She would have to casually face Damon and his girlfriend at the presence of her entire family and especially her ignorant husband.

Elena knew that it would take all her strength to hide her emotions and to not demonstrate her dismay especially if the worst case scenario took place. What if Stefan was right about Damon's intention? What if the family dinner was Damon's chance to announce his upcoming wedding?

Elena had tons of things to do, in order to get the house ready for the big family reunion that her and her husband had planned. It was the perfect opportunity as her brother Jeremy and her best friend Bonnie Bennett had just returned from their trip to Europe. Bonnie had been dreaming of travelling since she was a little girl and Jeremy as a young artist needed to gain more experience to advance his creations. Elena missed them terribly but she was glad that they were getting to fulfill their goals and live in their own terms. But damn, Elena needed her best friend's support now more than ever.

Bonnie had offered to help with the preparations, giving them time to catch up after such a long departure. Once she finally arrived, Elena couldn't contain her enthusiasm over meeting her best friend and rushed to hug her. Bonnie's expressions were just as amiable. It was no surprise that it didn't take long for the two friends to finish all the tasks for the preparation of the dinner as they had always made a great team once set on something. Fortunately for Elena, this left them plenty of time to talk about the issue that tormented her these days.

"...Her name's Rose, she is gorgeous and Stefan kept talking about how happy they are together and how Damon will probably settle down with her" Elena kept ranting in an incessant monologue that left Bonie no room for comments. "I mean isn't this the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? It must be classic Stefan reading more into things..."

Bonnie watched over her friend, worried of the turn this confession had taken. Elena's tone was now pleading, desperately seeking for some kind of reassurance that her fears were unfounded and Bonnie couldn't bear to see her friend like that. A deep sense of pitty overwhelmed her as she realised that her friend had never let go of Damon and the prospect of them finding their way back to each other.

"Elena, honey...", Bonnie called out to Elena tenderly, as if she was trying to soften the blow of what she was about to say, "we knew that Damon would find someone eventually, didn't we? We can't know if that Rose will be the one, but you need to accept that there will be one someday.."

"Of course, Bonnie, I'm not as naive to expect that Damon will die alone, but...", Elena couldn't find the words to continue, mainly because the realisation of what Bonnie had just said struck her. "Am I selfish Bonnie? I have everything and yet I want, I need Damon to stay stagnant".

A knock on the door interrupted Bonnie's response. Lily Salvatore, Elena's mother in law, friendly and lively as always, demanded their attention and deprived them of any opportunity to continue their conversation.

* * *

The room was finally ready to host their family and friends and Elena took a moment to appreciate the fruits of their work. The table was beautifully decorated, covered in an elegant white tablecloth, with compositions of red and white roses standing prominently. The candles attributed an even more romantic touch to the dinner and the overall feeling of the decor was cleverly summed by Lily's comment "Who are we seducing today?".

"Yeah, you outdid yourself today Elena! Never in a million years would I expect that you of all people would have taken time to order flowers. Has Caroline taken over your body? And where is Caroline by the way?", Bonnie expressed her amazement over Elena's feat, even though she could suspect what caused her friend's change of attitude.

"I haven't seen much of her myself lately", Elena replied, " Stefan and Caroline are working on a mysterious new project these days, apparently most of the work has fallen on her hands".

More small talk ensued between the three women until the guests started arriving. Aunt Jenna and Alaric were the first to honour their little meeting, followed by Stefan and Caroline, Guissepe Salvatore and Jeremy along with their childhood friends Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood. Only two people were missing from their little gathering and Elena didn't know whether to feel blessed or dissapointed.

A knock on the door made it evident to Elena that the moment she was dreading would soon be coming.

"Oh it must be Damon!" Stefan exclaimed, as he rushed towards the door to welcome his brother and his girlfriend. Stefan's eagerness bought Elena some time to collect herself.

The first person that entered the room was Damon, holding a box of pastries that he quickly passed onto Stefan. His colourful tie and well thought outfit caught Elena's attention as it was very far from the typical Damon styling. Damon's preference to anything plain and black had been the subject of many fights between Damon and his mother over the years.

 _"You don't even try to look presentable", Lily reproached, frustrated with her son's stubborness. "All these guests, that honoured our gathering, could be potential donors. The hard work that your father is doing , depends on the success of this event and the least we could do to attribute to this cause is to look our best"._

 _Elena felt extremely uncomfortable witnessing their fight. She had known Stefan's family for a month and it became evident from the start that Damon and Lily had a complicated relationship. Lily adored her son, but they were too similar in their intensity of character, which caused inevitable friction between them. The only times they stood on a united front were whenever an outsider was naive enough to challenge one of the two._

 _"I could bring you ten donors by midnight, even if I wore sweatpants.", Damon showed his irritation at his mother's narrow-mindedness._

 _"I sincerely doubt that", Lily exclaimed._

 _"Wanna bet?", Damon dared his mother, obstinate as always, determined to prove her wrong._

 _"You have a deal!", Lily caved into Damon's childish game, her own temperament making it hard to resist. " But Elena will escort you, to make sure that you don't cheat. You can't flirt or behave in any way that would be indecent for this event"._

 _Elena was found yet another time in the middle of a Salvatore fight. Her boyfriend's absence in a work trip didn't stop Lily from inviting her in the gala. Her future mother in law wasn't shy in showing her fondness of Elena even that early in their acquaintance. Lily's good will wasn't enough to overcome Elena's uneasiness in such a new and unpredictable environment, which was probably what urged Lily to enlist Damon in her attempts to make her guest feel comfortable. Despite their quarrels, Lily knew that Damon had a natural gift in relaxing people, an ability she would shamelessly use whenever it was needed. It was another lesson Elena would get to learn over the years; Lily's motivations are always much deeper than they seem, as her perception is much more advanced than people give her credit for._

 _"Come on, Elena, let's charm the room!", Damon invited her, extending his arm towards her in order to lead her towards their future victims._

 _The idea of spending the night with Damon made her nervous. The way his gaze fell on her, as if he could see right through her, inspecting her every move and calling her out on every feeling had become unsettling to her. He was the only person in her life, that made her feel that she couldn't hide anything from, however hard she tried. In the few times that they'd encountered each other ever since Stefan introduced them, Damon had managed to get past her defenses and influence her in manners she couldn't afford to be affected._

 _As far as Elena was concerned Damon was far from being unpresentable as Lily pointed out earlier. He had just denied to conform to the red and gold dresscode that Lily had demanded from their guests. His black suit and black shirt along with his impressively well-sculpted face, gave off Damon a regal air and could charm even the most demanding woman in the room. His outfit made him stand out and underlined his cynical personality and his abhorrence towards the pretence that overflowed these kind of events._

 _"What's our first target?", Elena inquired, deciding to play along._

 _Damon leaned in on her ear and whispered conspicuously. "See over there, the old lady with the red hat?" , Damon pointed discreetly towards the woman,"That's Mrs White, she has tons of money to spare and is extremely gullible". The proximity along with the scent of his cologne almost distracted Elena from her role as the referree of the bet and left her struggling to sustain her countenance._

 _"Your mother said you can't cheat", Elena disputed, once she concertrated on her task._

 _"My mother said I can't flirt or be indecent. She never said I can't lie...", Damon winked and put his arm protectively around Elena's waist. Without further conversation, they headed towards the old woman. Damon wore his most alluring smile as he greeted Mrs White, who turned out to be as naive as promised._

 _"Mrs White, this is my fiance, Elena Gilbert", Damon announced, stunning Elena and freezing her on her tracks._

"Guys, this is Rose, the future Mrs Salvatore", Damon announced as soon as Rose entered the room and looked eagerly around to scan his family's reactions. He received heartfelt wishes and congratulations from everyone but the one whose gaze he was trying to avoid at all costs. Once their eyes finally met, Elena knew and searched for any opportunity to share her discovery with Bonnie.

 **So what did you think of this chapter? Feel free to comment :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**It took me a little longer to finish, but at least it's longer than my usual chapters. Hope you'll enjoy it:)**

The night took an unpredictable turn as far as Damon was concerned and the reason was, like it had always been for him these days, Elena.

No, it wasn't that Damon expected the night to be pleasant or even remotely easy. He was well- aware that coexisting in the same room with the woman that broke his heart so many years ago would be complicated, which is why their little pact had shielded them from the unnecessary risks and the awkwardness of it. Adding to the mix the big announcement he had to make was sufficient to guarantee an explosive outcome. Yet, Elena's attitude still took him by surprise.

Elena looked at him in a manner that he could only interpret as... smug. She seeked his gaze and whenever she found the chance she would throw jabs at him, making it obvious to anyone in the room how unconvinced she was of Damon's blissful act and of his relationship.

Elena's uncalled forwardness was noticed and seemed to make everyone uncomfortable but Stefan, who was more interested in Jeremy's stories about Europe. Bonnie made a great effort to conceal her friend's hostility and tranquil her. Lily resumed at any cost her small chat with Rose, shifting her future daughter-in-law's focus to anything but the embarassing family feud that was taking place before them. Caroline looked perplexed, troubled even at Elena's uncharacteristic behaviour, looking to get into whatever secret she was apparently left out of. And what Damon failed to recognise at the time was that his own reactions towards Elena were carefully examined by every single member of their small company as well.

Alaric shot Damon a concerned look and discreetly hit his friend's foot under the table.

"Do you want to play footsies, love?", Damon berated his friend in his signature smirk. His words hid a second meaning and alluded to their feared enemy's speech pattern.

"Do something", Alaric demanded, feeling that their plan would go to waste, if Elena continued to challenge them at that rate.

"What am I supposed to do, Ric?", Damon protested. "I'm just as surprised as you are".

"No whispering", Elena addressed to Damon and Alaric in disapproval, clearly wanting to raise a reaction from Damon. Her voice was stern, serious and the only thing that gave away her emotional upheaval was the way she fidgeted as she nervously grasped a glass of wine, along with the intensity her eyes hid as she made her remark. Damon had never seen Elena act in a similar manner and he had always taken pride in his ability to read right through her. Today she was a mystery to him, putting her best poker face on, surpassing everything he'd ever taught her about keeping her adversary guessing. What he could tell for sure was that she was standing against him and was clearly getting on the offence.

 _"That was amazing", Elena cheered as they convinced the tenth donor that night. Damon saw Elena turn in front of his eyes from the stiff, serious girl to a completely relaxed and even more entertaining version of herself. Her smile more radiant than he had ever witnessed and her shining eyes gave off the young woman's passion for life._

 _Damon couldn't help but respond to her with an unreserved grin, as he felt more and more drawn to the girl that was standing in front of him. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed beforehand how attractive Elena Gilbert was. She rocked that gold dress and she was the only one that managed to pull off the ridiculous gold and red theme that his mother so pretentiously asked for. And he surely wasn't the only one to notice, as Elena didn't fail to gather the attention of other men in the event. Not that she seemed to acknowledge the impact she had. That obliviousness was another trait that intrigued Damon. How could anyone be so irresistible without even trying to?_

 _"Follow me, I have an idea", Damon urged Elena as he led her through the crowd towards the exit._

 _"Where are we going?", Elena asked._

 _"Somewhere fun", Damon pointed out vaguely as they walked out of the building and towards his car. And to his surprise, Elena followed without further explanations._

 _Damon took a moment to take a peak at Elena. She looked peaceful, happy even as they headed towards their destination in a comfortable silence._

 _There was palpable tension between them, something that Damon found extremely hard to ignore. Elena played along with Damon's scheme that night and even managed to enrich it and really contribute to his purpose. Once Elena was asked about the first time they met, her answer was so convincing that almost shook Damon, who recognised some truth blended in her beautifully constracted narrative._

 _"Stefan introduced us at the time. We were friends with Stefan back then and we run into his brother the day I dropped him to his father's business. Damon came out of the building, upset with his father for demanding him to work in the company. He barely looked in front of him and we bumped into each other. Once our eyes locked, sparks flew and I knew that this man was different from anyone I ever met. I could tell that he had been distraught by their argument, even if he hid it behind the typical Damon sarcasm when Stefan asked him about it. Even in his heated state of mind, he looked back at me apologetically as he left. He gave me a shy half-smile and promised me a proper talk the next time we would meet. And ever since there hasn't been a day that I have taken these beautiful blue eyes off my mind", Elena delivered her speech impeccably. Especially the last part, her reminiscent look and loving tone moved Damon in a completely unexpected way._

 _"I didn't expect you to play along", Damon admitted to Elena, "I thought you would flee every minute of our little act and you never did. Who knew Elena Gilbert could scheme like a pro?"._

 _"Believe it or not Damon, there are a lot of things people don't know about me.", Elena confessed, surprising Damon another time that night with her trust "I wasn't always the good little Elena you all met. I used to be alot more fun before... before my parents' death. Now I'm just boring I guess."_

 _"You still are a lot of fun", Damon reassured her, after sensing the apologetic tone of her latest admission."You are just a little more uptight that's all. And that doesn't make you boring, it makes you mysterious!"_

 _"Mysterious?", Elena laughed at Damon's choice of words."Why?"_

 _"You don't open up right away but there's always a hint of the sneaky little troll you are", Damon teased her and Elena couldn't help but crack up a smile._

 _"What about Stefan?" Damon inquired, his tone implying he'd been hesitant on interogating her._

 _"What about him?", Elena asked as her widened eyes showed her confusion at the sudden change of subject._

 _"He's head over heels in love with you. You are the first girlfriend he introduced to our family and I can tell that he is serious about it.", Damon observed. His tone implied a sense of warning that Elena didn't fail to register._

 _"I don't get where you are getting with this", Elena retorted clearly offended with the implication,"he is as in love with me as I am with him. We are crazy for each other"._

 _"Let's hope that's true, but it means nothing if you don't see this relationship going further . If you love him as much as you say you do, you should set him free.", Damon's words affected Elena. Her previous certainty was now tampered by Damon's innocent plead, driven by his love for his little brother. And while Elena was sure of her love for Stefan, she suddenly realised that she had never contemplated him as part of her future._

 _"How do you know?", Elena let her vulnerability show along with her admiration of the young man's perception, that had exceeded that of her closest friends and family._

 _"I've never seen you smile wholeheartedly next to Stefan. You aren't mesmerized when you look at him. I bet he's never listened your unreserved laugh or seen the way your eyes beam when you have fun. Plus, you aren't as good at pretending as you think you are.", Damon enlisted the reasons that led him to question Elena's intentions. The more he talked, the more sorry he felt for his little brother who was deprived of the beautiful sight he had been blessed with that night._

 _"For what's worth you are not that good at it either", Elena said playfully. "You claim to hate working for the company, yet back there you knew every single statistic you needed to impress these donors. You were passionate while doing it and there was something about the way you talked about the company's future, that told me that you see yourself as part of it. Why do you keep denying your parents something you want for yourself as well?"_

 _"It's not about what they are asking", Damon responded honestly, "but about the way they do it"._

Three years ago, he would have revelled in the naive and superficial explanation of her behaviour, the conclusion that anyone aware of their history would have drawn. Elena was jealous out of her mind and couldn't behave herself in front of her family. But the truth, that Damon had to come to terms with during these years, sinked any shimmer of hope that could have arose in his tormented heart. Elena never loved him, never was his and never would be." It will always be Stefan", Elena's voice echoed in his head , whenever he dared to consider the alternative.

Plus, he couldn't shake the feeling that Elena had somehow seen beyond the great performance he and Rose put that night. Her looks were almost calling him out, daring him to cut the act and man up. Her constant provocations, coming in the form of insults and passive aggressive statements and the confidence she exhuded while rendering them, spoke of an aspect of Elena's character that most people were unaware of. Damon knew that Elena's ability to scorn her enemies was only matched with the overwhelming compassion that kept her from unfolding the entirety of this dark talent.

What Damon saw that night convinced him that she wasn't holding back, facing him with a cruelty so evident that it hurt him and kept him wandering the source of it. Her angelic demeanor, a stark contrast to her harsh stance towards him, took his breath away the moment he first entered the room. Her silk black dress, a perfect combination of classy and sexy, hugged her figure perfectly. Her face, more beautiful than he remembered, drew him like a magnet, inviting him to explore every detail he had so deeply missed over these years.

He used to dream about a reunion, whenever his self-control cracked and his mind wandered in fantasies, despite knowing that it would only cause him harm in the long run. The night he ultimately got to be in the same room with Elena was far from the joyful reunion he had imagined all those times. What hurt him the most was that there was a moment, one single moment, one single look shared, that almost made him think that she had missed him as much as he missed her. The silent exchange, that passed between them for just an instant, told him a different story than Elena's words that evening. He could almost pinpoint the shift in her, once the reality of the situation settled, going from an elated lover to a wounded animal ready to return the blow she was given.

"Your imagination is running wild again you lovestruck idiot", Damon thought as he struggled to recollect himself, sick of this part of him that would crawl back to Elena at the slightest sign of affection.

He quickly set his eyes on his partner that was sitting next to him, currently having a conversation with his mother. Rose's natural charisma enabled her to win over everyone she talked to and his mother was no exception. Damon had always admired Rose's elegance and grace and tonight she was clearly set on making an impression.

Once her light green eyes found his, she shot him a compassionate look and smiled warmly, encouraging him to keep his calm. Damon couldn't have asked for a more understanding partner, as Rose never failed to meet his needs during this difficult period of his life. Unlike Alaric, who caved frequently under the weight of their situation, Rose never lost her faith and dedication to their goal. Together they drove Alaric nuts, who frequently joked about them making a pairing of doom. Rose's unfounded optimism and Damon's nonchalance combined was a guarantee for catastrophe in their friend's opinion.

"Is everything OK, honey?", Rose answered to his silent plea. They needed to be more convincing, to interact more, to show Elena in every way possible that it was the real deal. Caroline was observing them in the entire dinner and her suspicious relationship with Klaus had shook the trust Damon used to have in one of his oldest friends. And most importantly one of Elena's friends, who could be on the receiving end of Elena's suspicions. Therefore, it was crucial that EVERYONE believed them.

Damon got an idea. As unpleasant as it would be to him, he would have to do it to save his company. He proceeded to type a message to his phone, adressed to a person he hadn't contacted in two years.

MEET ME AT THE GARDEN IN 10 - D

Elena's phone beeped, a sound that startled her. She had seen Damon typing and the timing of it told her that he had probably texted her. She hesitated for one second to read the message, reached Damon's eyes that confirmed her suspicions and gathered her courage to read it. Ironically, they were both oblivious to Stefan's very subtle, yet successful attempts at spying his wife and brother.


End file.
